Research 101: How to Design Publishable Research Studies in Voice Pedagogy

Friday, June 26 

Presenter: Amelia Rollings

In the performing arts, teachers often rely on what they have been taught, what works for someone else, popular opinion, or the old “try and see” method. While these methods can be successful at times, the field of voice pedagogy desperately needs publishable, high-quality, rigorously-conducted research studies that strive to answer the immediate questions and needs of singers and voice teachers engaged in the classroom, the voice studio, the business, and on the stage. Voice teachers often ask the best questions based on the knowledge they have gained from working day in and day out with singers. This conversation aims to give teachers tools for conducting publishable research that will advance their careers and our profession.

About Amelia Rollings

 Amelia Rollings currently serves as Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre Voice at Western Kentucky University. The National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Voice Foundation awarded Rollings the 2018 Van L. Lawrence Award, an award given yearly to one voice pedagogue engaged in scientific research. Rollings holds a PhD. in Vocal Pedagogy from The University of Kansas and a MM in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from The Pennsylvania State University. Rollings has presented her research in such refereed venues as The Voice Foundation Symposium, The International Phenomenon of Singing Symposium, The Singing Network, the Pan-American Vocology Association Symposium, the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Conference, the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance, the Fall Voice Conference, and the Ohio State Voice Forum. Her most recent publication on the effects of high-heeled shoes on postural and acoustical measures of female singers can be found in the Journal of Voice.